Thousands gather for anti-racism rally in Belfast after disorder

Thousands of people have gathered at an anti-racism protest in Belfast, after violence erupted across the city this week which saw people's homes, businesses and vehicles targeted.

The disorder was sparked after footage of a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night was shared widely on social media, which left the victim with serious injuries, and a man has been charged with attempted murder.

The "Together Against Hate" rally started at about 13:00 at Belfast City Hall.

Police have closed a number of roads to facilitate the crowd.

A number of political parties and trade unions are represented in the crowd.

Some in the crowd are holding up banners saying: "Strike back against racism", "Refugees welcome" and "Riots don't speak for Belfast".

The protest has been organised by the group United Against Racism.

The event started with the crowd chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here. Who is Belfast? We are Belfast."

Speaker Ivanka Antova said: "This week we witnessed something we will never forget. The scenes of families and young children fleeing their homes in terror. We'll never forget how rich and powerful people used their online platforms," she said.

Sympathy was also extended to the victim of last week's knife attack in north Belfast before she turned to the trouble over the past few days.

"The whole world watched Belfast in horror. There is nothing legitimate about racist pogroms, and racism has no place in our city."

Solidarity was extended to the hundreds of volunteers "who evacuated people, provided meals, and reassured frightened communities".

Carmel Gates from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions praised healthcare workers, fire fighters, bus drivers and teachers, who stepped up to help those who were attacked and intimidated this week.

"I got a call from a government minister who asked what he could do. The only practical thing that Westminster can do is provide money to tackle the poverty that fuels racism," she said.

She said her "message to the far right was to 'get out of our communities'."

"We will not stand for you in our communities," she said.

A number of speakers have criticised the police and the political institutions in Northern Ireland, claiming that it had been left to refugee women and local groups to coordinate the response to the violence and intimidation.

To date, police have made 23 arrests, 17 people have been charged to court, five have been bailed, and one person was reported to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

An anti-racism protest is also under way in Londonderry's Guildhall.

The disorder was sparked after footage of a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night was shared widely on social media.

Many of those protests passed peacefully but, elsewhere, hundreds of masked people took to the streets and violence followed.

The disorder was restricted to pockets of Belfast and other towns, but across Northern Ireland schools and shops closed early, and public transport shut down.

The riots and protests followed a knife attack on Monday night.

Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old originally from Sudan, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over the attack which left the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, with serious injuries.